, 1887-01-11
THE PARTN ER.

Dunford x Parr. st. SwithinS lane. lDm-
bard street. II was neither "A very re-
sponsihle nor a very lucrative position.
and Tommy las all his friends called HIM
logged. rs perhaps fifty thousand Young
men in Il similar situation in London are
longing ut this moment. for II chance of
turning his brains TO better account than
adding up columns Of figures and copying
entire, from one big book into another.
The chance did not come. but Tommy did
not despair; and there was this difference
between him and the great majority OF
his fellow prisoners of the dcsk-hc had
the pluck 10 work away manfully at
whatever he thought might possibly some
day help him to better his position. even
though he could not see exactly how it
was to be done. With this end IN view
he got up French, German and Italian,
and he did everything he could to pick
up Information as to the financial circum-
stances Of tho customers of the bank. He
scrapcd acquaintance with every clerk
employed 10y those who had ccoun at
the bank, as far AS he possibly could, and
picked up in time an idea, more or less
accurate, as to the commercial status Of
most Of them.
One day he happened to he at lunch in
his flvorite restaurant when an acquaint-
ance named Darling came in and sat
down beside him. After n little casual
conversations Darling asked him to let
him know OF any vacant clerkship he
might hear of.
Il will, certainly, old fellow" re-
turned Tommy; :.but | hope you haven't
.,.t int. g. .a.- ,.,tI A,Yl.t,y - .Ira.I
ericA Appleton was Darhng's brother-in-
law. and he was also the secretary of the
Mudford and County Chemical company,
in whose counting house young Darling
had - subordinate post.)
"Oh, no, nothing OF the kind, " re
turned Darling: and then he changed the
ubject.
On his way back TO the bank after
lunch. Mathers asked himself why Oar
ling should leave his present situation.
He had "A capital prospect there his
brother in law being the secretary; and
there wa no disagreement between him
and his influential relative. Could it be
that Darling had had II hint from his
brother in-law that the Chemical com
pany was getting into shallow water, n
thai II behooved him to be looking out for
another situation Ii seemed more than
likely and young Mathers determined to
act at once. He slipped into the bank
parlor that afternoon. hoping to find the
junior partner. Mr.. Parr, n good natured
sort Of man. who was not likely to snub
him for volunteering information. To
his disappointment, he found only Mr..
Holgson. IA sour tempered old man. who
WAS struggling into his o%vercoat, prepare
tory 10 leaving the Office for the day.
Wen" growlcd the banker, what
do you want
Tommy was on the point of saying that
he had come to speak To Mr.. Parr. Mt i'll
IA moment he changed his mind.
II heard something to-day sir, he re
piled. that made IN. think that the
Mudford company are moi in a very good
way
well. what If that: what's that to
me.''
Nothing, sir, only | thought there
was no harm in letting you know.
Anything Of that kind YOU can say to
Mr.. Parkinson, answered the old gen
tleman, rs lie s'.iz,d his umbrella and
waddlcl down the passage.
Tommy feE snubbed, but he did not
mind that much. He had lon what he
wanted, brought himself under the per
sonal notice of ono of the partners. If he
had given the hint To Parkinson. the head
cashier. Parkinson. not he, would have
had all the credit for it. He retired to
his place among the other clerks Il little
sore at the rebuff. vet not entirely di-sit.
isiicd.
On his. way home Mr.. Hodgson remcm-
bcrcd that the bank held some shares of
the Mudford Chemical company as re
curitS for the balance OF the account of
one OF their customers who was deemed
rather shaky. Next morning accord
ingly Inc called Tommy into his room
and questioned him a- To the nature of
his information.
Perhaps you will excuse my entering
into that. sir. said Tommy, with the ut
most GOODNESS.
Mr.. llodgson dismissed Mathers To his
work with a dissatisfied grunt and II
wave of his hand. and Immediately set
to work to have the shares OF the Mud
ford company exchanged for other So
curities.
Tommy. who managed 10 know most
Of what happened ut the bank. noted the
fact and rejolced.
Within six weeks the shareholders OF
the Mudford Chemical company met and
resolved To go into liquidation, and,
though Mr.. Hodgson did not think it
worth while to thank the junior clerk for
the information he had given, Tommy
was satisfied. He knew that people do
not forget things which save their